A pipeline to connect the Narrabri Gas Project to the Hunter Gas Pipeline has been declared critical infrastructure by the New South Wales government, which opponents say will fast-track the planning approval process and limit debate.
Today Premier Dominic Perrottet announced that the 50-kilometre-long Narrabri Gas Lateral Pipeline was a crucial link needed to connect the two networks.
It was declared critical state significant infrastructure (CSSI) because it has been deemed essential to NSW for economic reasons.
CSSI status means no third party can mount a legal appeal against the project without the consent of the minister.
The declaration also means the minister gives the project the green light once it has moved through the planning process.
But the status does not mean the pipeline will definitely go ahead.
Energy giant Santos still needs to develop an environmental impact statement (EIS) and go through several planning stages, including community consultation.
The Hunter Gas Pipeline it is slated to connect to is still yet to built and faces staunch opposition from landholders who will not consent to Santos conducting early works on their properties.
The Narrabri Gas Project itself, while approved, has not completed all the required management plans before it can start drilling.
'A bit of a mockery'
Pamela Austin is secretary of the Hunter Gas Landholder Rights Alliance (HGLRA) and said the announcement was disappointing.
"We obviously oppose the Hunter Gas Pipeline and the project is dependent on the lateral pipeline," she said.
"So we will support any landowner on the lateral pipeline who opposes this, and we'll give them our full support."
Ms Austin said the declaration would make it harder to oppose the project.
"[Declaring critical infrastructure] certainly made the Hunter Gas Pipeline more difficult to oppose and to find reasons not to get, for instance, the extension they got in 2019," she said.
"It does fast-track processes to a degree.
"It also reduces the amount of environmental impact the government will be concerned about when these projects are put in.
"A number of our members are very concerned about the environmental impact of this pipeline, let alone the impact on their private property."
Environmental advocacy group Lock the Gate was also disappointed by announcement.
NSW coordinator Nic Clyde said the government claimed to support the goals of the Paris Agreement and yet made the announcement amid dire climate change warnings from numerous international bodies.
"It does make a bit of a mockery of [Energy Minister] Matt Kean and the premier's promises to take the climate issue seriously and transition NSW away from coal and gas," he said.
$90m cash boost, minister says
Mr Perrottet said in a statement that the project would be "vital to securing affordable and reliable gas for more than one million households and thousands of businesses who rely on natural gas for heating, cooking and power generation".
The premier said once it was up and running Narrabri would be the backbone of the state's gas needs and would support the transition to renewable energy.
Planning Minister Anthony Roberts said if the pipeline went ahead it would inject up to $90 million into the economy during construction and create up to 200 construction jobs.
Santos can now request assessment requirements to prepare an EIS, which will be subject to extensive community consultation and a full environmental assessment.
The ABC reached out to Santos but it declined to comment.
